10 Reasons Why Half Life 2 Is Still A Masterpiece

4. It's The Thinking Man's Shooter

The first person shooter has received an unsavory reputation from the media, and is often accused of celebrating violence and directly inspiring real life killing sprees such as the tragic Columbine shootings in 1999. Indeed, ever since the genre was born with the controversial games Wolfenstein 3D and Doom, the first person shooter has become known for reveling in death and destruction. If you ever want to show someone why the genre can actually be something more than just blood and guts or jingoistic military mayhem, simply point them in the direction of Half Life 2, or any of Valve€™s contributions to the well worn genre. In Half Life 2 you€™ll certainly get to scratch that itchy trigger finger, but you€™ll also solve complex puzzles, form bonds with genuinely likable characters and be part of a wonderfully expansive narrative. What€™s more, Half Life 2 and its two subsequent episodes have something you rarely see in any video game €“ heart.
Contributor
Contributor

Cult horror enthusiast and obsessive videogame fanatic. Stephen considers Jaws to be the single greatest film of all-time and is still pining over the demise of Sega's Dreamcast. As well regularly writing articles for WhatCulture, Stephen also contributes reviews and features to Ginx TV.